121 replies to this topic

[Bruce Klein]

It's currently likely that the M-Prize - Kurzweil Lunch will be dominated by one high-net-worth individual. Therefore, I suggest an ImmInst Team coordinate into a block of 6.

At $260, I'm currently the high-bidder - bruceklein_imminst
http://offer.ebay.co...item=5592464719

Of course, the final bid will be much higher. My personal highest bid will be $500.

I suggest we create an ImmInst Team, to which you pledge your highest bid in this thread and I'll subsequently increase the Ebay user name: bruceklein_imminst bid accordingly in order to win.

After the auction is won by our ImmInst Team, I'll pay the winning bid, and your necessary winning pledge percentage will be reimbursed to me. Then we'll have lunch with Kurzweil at the ImmInst Conference in Atlanta Nov 5, 2005.

Auction ends July 15.

[Bruce Klein]

Hi Immortality Institute,

Amazing news! Dr. Ray Kurzweil -- scientist, inventor, life-extension visionary -- has volunteered to donate his time for a celebrity lunch auction, all of the proceeds to go straight into the Mprize fund!

The auction will open on eBay on Tuesday, July 5.

www.mprize.org/auction

Bidders can join together in groups of up to 6 to win the luncheon with Dr. Kurzweil, but groups should select one person to do the actual bidding on eBay on behalf of the group.

The auction will be arranged at a time convenient to the winners and Dr. Kurzweil. Lunch will be provided by Mprize volunteers according to the dietary guidelines set forth in Dr. Kurzweil's most recent book, _Fantastic Voyage: Live Long Enough to Live Forever_.

We hope you'll join us for this lunch of a lifetime!

Sincerely,

The Mprize Team

www.mprize.org

[JMorgan]

Yes! I am in! Kurzweil is the guy who introduced me to all this stuff in the first place. The only question I have is how do we decide which 6? I suppose it would be the 6 who are willing to put in the most money?

Also, I'm assuming we are responsible for getting to him. According to the ebay auction page, the 'item' location is in Lorton, VA. Is this correct?

Assuming this is feasible, for now, count me in with another $250. (Why do I have a feeling the winnig bid at the end of the auction will be sooo much higher...)

[jaydfox]

The "item" location is fairly aribitrary. Lorton, VA, is where the MPrize is headquartered. As far as where the luncheon will take place, it would probably be cheaper to fly one futurist (Kurzweil) to the winning team's location, than to fly six members of the winning team to Kurzweil.

But you're right, the auction site is rather vague about those details.

[Mind]

I am willing to contribute at least 100, but maybe as high as 200 if we are in the running. Talk about great cross promotion and donation. We contribute to the M-prize, and if we win maybe we can get Kurweil down to Atlanta for the conference.

[Bruce Klein]

Thank you, Malchiah and Mind.

Yes! I am in! Kurzweil is the guy who introduced me to all this stuff in the first place. The only question I have is how do we decide which 6? I suppose it would be the 6 who are willing to put in the most money?

Yes, the top 6 bidders in this thread will be the ImmInst Team.

Also, I'm assuming we are responsible for getting to him. According to the ebay auction page, the 'item' location is in Lorton, VA. Is this correct?

As per the wording of the letter, the auction will be arranged at a time convenient to the winners and Dr. Kurzweil, an ImmInst Team win would likely obligate Kurzweil to attend our Atlanta Nov 5 Conference so that he may have lunch with us at our groups convenience.

ImmInst Team Max Bid:
500 - Bruce Klein
250 - Malchiah
100 - Mind (as high as 200)
--
850 - Total (as high as 950)

[jaydfox]

Well, I'll be at the conference, so I can always try to grab a seat at the table next to Kurzweil's. I am, after all, a director! That's gotta have some kind of pull, right?

But seriously, I would like to sit at the table with Kurzweil. Knowing how eBay auctions work, the bidding will start low, with everyone holding their true maximums to themselves. Bruce, what's the timeframe for paying you? The more time I have, the more I can put down. My next paycheck promises to be a few hundred dollars bigger than normal. I'm feeling a little saucy. Put me down for $100 for now, and I'll keep my true reserve to myself, and bump up my bid as needed to stay on the team.

[eternaltraveler]

well I was planning on donating a fair amount of money to the Mprize this year anyway, might as well do it this way.

Count me in for as high as 300.

Are we sure Kurzweil can make it to the conference?

[Bruce Klein]

Heh.. Jay, I think Daily Show celebrity types have good pull.

Elrond, Kurzweil not being able to attend the conference is important. I'll find out.

ImmInst Team Max Bid:
500 - Bruce Klein
300 - Elrond
250 - Malchiah
100 - Mind (as high as 200)
100 - Jay Fox
--
1250 - Total (as high as 1350)

[eternaltraveler]

I suggest you don't bid anymore until shortly before the auction closes.

On the other hand getting into a bidding war would drive up the winning bid even if we don't get it which means more money to the mprize.

Hmmm, tough call.

[jaydfox]

Well, there's nine days left after today, so I don't see a need to instantly trump any bids that come along. However, I'd like to see some exponential growth, if for no other reason than the buzz it would generate.

While it would be easier for ImmInst to win if we can avoid bidding wars, as a supporter of the Mprize and a member of the 300, I'd really like to see a bidding war.

[jaydfox]

Heh.. Jay, I think Daily Show celebrity types have good pull.

Smartass! [:o]

[eternaltraveler]

While it would be easier for ImmInst to win if we can avoid bidding wars, as a supporter of the Mprize and a member of the 300, I'd really like to see a bidding war.

I agree, but it would also be nice to have a chance to speak with him.

[Bruce Klein]

I have good experience with Ebay (purchasing more 50 items in the past) and plan to be there at the final seconds if there should be a bidding war.

[jaydfox]

I have good experience with Ebay (purchasing more 50 items in the past) and plan to be there at the final seconds if there should be a bidding war.

Scott Miller will also be there in the final seconds, as you can see from this comment at April's CR blog:
http://www.mprize.or...i.html#comments

Note his wording: he plans on winning, and he expects the winning bid to be in the low four figures. I take that to mean that he's willing to go at least that high. We're already up to as high as $1350, so we're in the same ballpark, and we've still got 9 days to get that up to a few grand, but if the highest bid is only $500 two minutes before the auction ends, I'd be worried that we won't get it.

Don't plan on a strategy of a bidding war in the final few minutes. If two or more people are bidding, and the current bid is well below the maximum each would seriously consider, then the winner might just be the person who gets in the final bid at the last second by pure luck (assuming two or three people try to submit a bid with mere seconds to space). Anyway, something to think about.

[DukeNukem]

Since ALL of the money will go to the MPrize anyway, it seems to me that even people who are NOT bidding in the top six should still pledge a bid, because it's...

o Still donating 100% to the cause
o Helps ensure that ImmInst gets the publicity

Therefore, I suggest that anyone who can even pledge $10 to $100 still does a lot of good.

Where will this dinner likely take place? I may decide to join my bid with ImmInst rather than go it alone.

Scott

[eternaltraveler]

you can enter a max bid and ebay will automatically bid up to that point

[Bruce Klein]

Hi Scott,

If we win, the ImmInst Team Lunch with Kurzweil will be in Atlanta on Nov 5 at our Life Extension Conference. Depending on a vote by the team, we'll dine with Ray at either the grand ball room or a more intimate dining room (about 30 x 20) at the Ga Tech Conf. Center.

Let me find pictures.

[eternaltraveler]

o Still donating 100% to the cause
o Helps ensure that ImmInst gets the publicity

These are both very valid points. If I am not in the top six my "up too 300" still stands.

Might start a bidding war among ourselves )

[eternaltraveler]

If the top six can cover it then it still should just be the top six paying of course. Everyone else should donate to the Mprize directly.

[Bruce Klein]

If the ImmInst Team wins, here are two choices for Lunch with Ray....

The Ga. Tech Conf. Center Grand Ball Room:



Or a more intimate dinning room....

I'm not able to find a picture of the small dining room... however, I've seen it in person and I think I'd be perfect for a quiet, intimate lunch with Ray as it is located off to the side in a separate room adjacent to the dining facility. This intimate dinning room is also where ImmInst Leadership will have its Leadership Meeting and Dinner after the conference. The room can hold around 20-30 individuals at a round or elongated table comfortably.



http://www.gatechhot...ining/index.cfm

[jaydfox]

(dukenukem)
Since ALL of the money will go to the MPrize anyway, it seems to me that even people who are NOT bidding in the top six should still pledge a bid...

Therefore, I suggest that anyone who can even pledge $10 to $100 still does a lot of good.

(elrond)
If the top six can cover it then it still should just be the top six paying of course.  Everyone else should donate to the Mprize directly.

Yes, I already told Bruce in a PM that if I'm not in the top six, I would still pledge $50 if that made the difference between whether or not ImmInst could win the auction. But if I get to be in the top six, my starting bid is $100, and I'll go up from there as needed.

[eternaltraveler]

I think everyone should list two bids here. Their in the top six bid, and their donating to the cause bid if you aren't in the top six

[jaydfox]

I think everyone should list two bids here.  Their in the top six bid, and their donating to the cause bid if you aren't in the top six

One slight problem with that approach:
Let's say person A bids $300 to be in the top six, or $50 if they're not, and let's say that $300 puts this person in the sixth position (i.e. there are five bids higher than $300).

Now let's say person B comes along, who bids $320 to be in the top six, but is willing to bid $150 if he/she isn't in the top six.

If person A stays in the top six, then the total bid will go up by $150 (the $150 that person B is willing to bid). If person B takes the sixth spot, then the total bid will only go up by $70 (the $20 difference between Person B and Person A's bids, plus person A's $50).

From a bidding perspective, the maximum would be achieved if Person A retains his or her spot in the top six.

So, how do we resolve this? The most "fair" approach would be to let Person B take the sixth spot, since he's willing to bid more for that spot. However, pragmatically, the "best" approach would be to let Person A retain the sixth spot, as this maximizes bidding potential.

[DukeNukem]

BJ, does Ray know about this meeting place for dinner? ;-)

Finally, a strong argument can be made for bidding the max right away, because it can help this auction become newsworthy, and generate buzz as people (maybe press, certainly some bloggers) begin to watch it and write about it. Also, it will help raise the total bid by bidding early rather than at the last minute.

So, what's more important: Having dinner with Ray for six people here, or maximizing the MPrize donation, which can benefit billions?

Seems like a no-brainer to me.

[jaydfox]

Scott, why don't you push and Bruce get into a mini-bidding war, and take the bid up several hundred dollars, for the reasons you suggested (to generate buzz, become newsworthy, etc.). But don't go in $5 increments, try $25 increments, or $50 increments.

I'd do it myself, knowing that ImmInst would outbid me (no pressure), but alas, I can't get into my eBay account, and gmail is so trigger happy at blocking eBay phishing scams, that it's completely filtering all eBay mail, even the legit stuff. Emails aren't even showing up in my Spam inbox, that's how bad it is.

[eternaltraveler]

One slight problem with that approach:
Let's say person A bids $300 to be in the top six, or $50 if they're not, and let's say that $300 puts this person in the sixth position (i.e. there are five bids higher than $300).

Now let's say person B comes along, who bids $320 to be in the top six, but is willing to bid $150 if he/she isn't in the top six.

If person A stays in the top six, then the total bid will go up by $150 (the $150 that person B is willing to bid). If person B takes the sixth spot, then the total bid will only go up by $70 (the $20 difference between Person B and Person A's bids, plus person A's $50).

From a bidding perspective, the maximum would be achieved if Person A retains his or her spot in the top six.

So, how do we resolve this? The most "fair" approach would be to let Person B take the sixth spot, since he's willing to bid more for that spot. However, pragmatically, the "best" approach would be to let Person A retain the sixth spot, as this maximizes bidding potential.

yes it could cause problems.

Perhaps we should just limit it to the best top six to avoid them. Or all agree on some universal standard like everyone not in the top six pays 50% (or whatever, something unversal that everyone agrees on, and everyone involved would have to agree).

Luckily we have 9 days to think about it

[eternaltraveler]

Finally, a strong argument can be made for bidding the max right away, because it can help this auction become newsworthy, and generate buzz as people (maybe press, certainly some bloggers) begin to watch it and write about it. Also, it will help raise the total bid by bidding early rather than at the last minute.

It still won't be that much money in the grand scheme of things. Would it really be enough to be newsworthy?

[eternaltraveler]

I'm curious.

Has anyone asked if he would like to come to the conference anyway?

[jaydfox]

Perhaps we should just limit it to the best top six to avoid them. Or all agree on some universal standard like everyone not in the top six pays 50% (or whatever, something unversal that everyone agrees on, and everyone involved would have to agree).

I thought about a percentage, it seems the most sensible and fair. 50% is a bit steep though, I think 25% is more do-able, and less likely to get people's feelings hurt. After all, if someone wants to bid $500, but doesn't want to bid $250 "just for the team", then that could set up an uncomfortable situation.

We can take a straw poll, among those of us who have already made bids: Bruce, Elrond, me (jaydfox), Mind, and Malchiah. Would pledging a percentage of your maximum bid be acceptable if you don't get a seat? If so, what percentage?

I'd agree to 25%. 33% would be pushing it. And since it's a percentage of my maximum, I suppose it's only fair for me to disclose that my maximum is at least $300. So I'm bidding $100, maximum $300 (for now), and I suppose I could agree to pledge $75 even if I don't get a seat.